1960 Valdivia earthquake and tsunami

The 1960 Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean Earthquake of May 22, 1960 was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, rating 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale. It occurred in the afternoon, and the resulting tsunami affected southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, eastern New Zealand, southeast Australia, and the Aleutian Islands.

The tremor caused localized tsunamis that severely battered the Chilean coast, with waves up to 25 meters (82 ft). The main tsunami raced across the Pacific Ocean and devastated Hilo, Hawaii. Waves as high as 10.7 meters (35 ft) were recorded 10,000 kilometers from the epicenter, and as far away as Japan and the Philippines.

The death toll and monetary losses arising from such a widespread disaster are not certain. Various estimates of the total number of fatalities from the earthquake and tsunamis have been published, with the United States Geological Survey citing studies with figures of 2,231, 3,000, or 5,700 killed and another source uses an estimate of 6,000 dead.

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